


Winston’s Cafe

by obfuscatedheart



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Hannibal Holidays 2017, M/M, Mob Boss!au, cafe owner!Will
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 14:24:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13148526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obfuscatedheart/pseuds/obfuscatedheart
Summary: Hannibal Lecter is the Chesapeake Ripper, leader of the mob in Baltimore. Winston’s cafe should be beneath him, but he can’t seem to tear himself away from the handsome cafe owner Will Graham





	Winston’s Cafe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kiranightshade](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiranightshade/gifts).



> Dear Kira Nightshade. Hope you enjoy this short ficlet for the Hannibal Holidays 2017. I had a lot of fun with this, and I hope to continue this as I have a great many plans for the two of them.

Hannibal knew exactly why he always came back to the little cafe that was just inside his territory. It wasn’t the interior, which in his opinion was in sore need of a decorator, that looked more like it was a hunting lodge in the middle of woods than a cafe. It wasn’t the food, although that was astoundingly good yet simple. It wasn’t for the atmosphere, polite though everyone was, it wasn’t as accommodating as most places he frequented.

No, it was the surly but utterly enchanting owner of the cafe, Will Graham that kept the Chesapeake Ripper coming back to Winston’s.

A plate with a danish was set in front of him as well as a mug of coffee by Will who muttered “Bon Appetit”

Hannibal glanced up at the man and grinned at the puzzled look in his eyes, and weren’t those eyes a revelation.

“What has you looking so pensive this morning William?”

Will frowned slightly, “I’ve told you before it’s Will.” 

“Well then dear Will,” a blush crept over the handsome face, “What has you pensive this morning?”

Will sighed before answering and raked a hand through his brown curls. “You come in here at the oddest times, but you’re dressed as if you ought to be working in a private clinic.”

Hannibal let a brief smile grace his features, “Oh I work hard don’t worry about that, I just happen to have a job that allows me to set my own hours. As to what I put on my body I’m just as careful there as i am with what I put in my body.”

Will flushed a darker shade of red at the insinuation and tugged gently at the collar of his flannel shirt. 

“But it appears you might not have the same qualms about what you put on and in your body.”

“I’m very careful with what I put in my body, I’ll have you know!” Will shot back angrily. 

Hannibal only quirked an eyebrow. 

“I believe I’ve answered your question, unless there is something else you wanted to ask me?”

Will gulped and said, “Bev says there are rumours about you. That you’re one of those mob type guys, just like in the movies.”

Hannibal chuckled, “And what do you believe Will?”

“I think you’re dangerous.”

“Oh that I certainly am dear Will. The only question is how much danger do you need?”

Will said nothing, although he was breathing heavily. Hannibal bit into the pastry, which melted in his mouth, the flavours a delicate balance despite being an easy fare. 

Blue eyes kept darting to the corner of his mouth. Hannibal knew that there were flakes of pastry there. 

“Something wrong?”

Will leaned over and gently brushed the flakes away and stilled as a finger brushed over Hannibal’s lips. 

Hannibal let’s his tongue dart out and linger on Will’s fingertip. Will tasted of sugar, butter and something darker which made Hannibal’s heart beat faster. Will didn’t pull his finger back so Hannibal grinned and said, “Delectable.”

Will gulped and pulled his fingers back, “I have to go. Something in the kitchen.” He jumped up and away from Hannibal with a red face and hurried back through the door that he knew was the way to the kitchen. 

Hannibal finished his pastry and coffee with a smile and left cash on the table before departing. 

***

“I’ve told you before I despise rudeness.” Hannibal was leaning over the man. “And you’ve been very rude. So what’s to be done about that?”

The man was cringing on the floor covered in blood. Hannibal’s men had roughed him up but it would always be his job to finish him off. 

Eldon Stammets had killed a number of women that were civilians and had thus drawn attention to Hannibal and his group. Their deaths has been cruel and inelegant. 

“They were looking for connection. I gave them the opportunity.” Eldon spat at Hannibal. 

He wiped away the spittle from his face and grinned darkly at Eldon. 

“You should know Eldon that you’ve made a grave mistake. And forgiveness is not so easily given for rudeness.”

Hannibal let the knife he had concealed in his sleeve slide down into his hand. Weighing the weapon in his hand he considers the man in front of him. He would give him a death suitable to what he had done. 

Hannibal slashed the knife across the kneeling man’s throat, the blood sprayed him and he revelled in the feeling. He spared a thought to Will, noting that the man would be radiant covered in blood. It thrilled him the idea of the man he saw everyday decorated in the blood of their enemies. 

Eldon Stammets died in front of him with a gurgling sigh. Hannibal looked down at the man with disgust before he ordered one of his men to dispose of the body, he wanted Stammets buried beneath the earth of his mushroom garden but encased in plastic so that he would never be connected with his beloved mushrooms. 

The Chesapeake Ripper missed Will suddenly, which struck him, the possibility that he could be weakened by the cafe owner. 

He resolved then that he would do everything in his power to protect the man. 

***

Hannibal opened the door to the cafe and it felt like coming home. Will wasn’t anywhere to be seen, so he rang the bell at the counter and the blue-eyed man appeared from the kitchen. 

There was cut over his eyebrow that was still bleeding and Will was holding his ribs and there were bruises and cuts on his knuckles.

“Will what happened to you?” Hannibal asked, he was a mixture of concern and anger. He stepped towards the man and noticed the small flinch. 

“There was a man. Called himself the Red Dragon. Said I needed to leave you alone.” Will’s voice sounded pained and he was breathing with some obvious difficulty. “Then he knocked me around, managed to get a few licks in but he ran away.”

Hannibal clenched his fists in anger, he knew exactly who the man was. An ex-member of his group who had disappeared when Hannibal had begun to suspect him of planning a coup to replace him. 

“I believe I know this man dear Will. And I must apologise for dragging you into my world.” 

Will reached a hand and stroked it gently over Hannibal’s face. “I got here on my own.”

Hannibal smiled brightly. “Now I can drive you to hospital if you like?”

Will frowned, “No hospital. I can’t afford to close this place today. And Bev is off, so I’ve not got cover if I left.”

“Well then fortunately for you I have a medical background.”

“I knew it. You have a surgeon’s hands.” Will said as he stroked over Hannibal’s fingers. A small thrill shot through Hannibal as he felt Will’s hands touch his. 

Will said, “Well I have a first aid kit in the kitchen, so hopefully you can help me.”

Hannibal was led into the kitchen by Will and he was thoroughly impressed by both the cleanliness and the equipment. He could imagine cooking with Will in here, and he felt a glimmer of hope at the prospect. 

A wince from Will brought him back to his surroundings and he watched as he straightened with a first aid kit in hand. 

Taking it gently from Will’s bruised and bloodied hands he set it down on the counter before opening it. Luckily for the both of them it is fully stocked and all seems to be in date. 

Hannibal ripped open the packaging of an antiseptic wipe. Letting the wipe hover over the cut he said, “This will sting.”

“Go for it.”

Hannibal worked quickly to remove the dirt from the wound and Will was gritting his teeth and Hannibal couldn’t help but admire the man. 

Once the wound was cleaned he took a plaster and carefully stuck it over the wound. Will smiled at him gently. 

“Take your shirt off, I need to make sure that your ribs aren’t broken and that there isn’t any internal injuries we need to worry about.”

Will blushed and Hannibal grinned. 

“I promise to keep my touch clinical, anything else can come later.”

Will gasped at that, but he was reaching to unbutton the flannel shirt he is wearing. He managed to shrug off the shirt but Hannibal could see that it was hurting him, and the resolve grew to destroy the Red Dragon.

Hannibal couldn’t help but notice the rather surprisingly muscled torso that was revealed.

“You’re staring.” Will’s voice draws him from the reverie. 

“We should all take time to admire beauty when we see it.”

Will blushed again, “Maybe we can admire beauty later.”

Hannibal nodded and then reached for Will’s chest. When his hands made contact with warm skin he gasped. Will seemed to lean into his touch unconsciously. Taking a moment to savour the feeling before he skims fingers over ribs.

He stepped away and saw the way Will seemed to follow him slightly. His voice is gruff when he speaks, “You can put your shirt back on as they’re only bruised. Lots of rest and painkillers is what I recommend.”

Will nodded and carefully pulled on his shirt again, but didn’t rebutton it. Hannibal drew his eyes up to Will’s. The man wasn’t shying away from him now. Blue eyes held maroon ones and would not let go. 

Out of the corners of his eyes Hannibal could see the twitch of Will’s hands, and he remembered what he was supposed to be doing. 

“Your hands.” Will frowned slightly. “I’ll bandage your hands.”

“Yeah of course.” Will sounded dazed, but he reached out his hands to Hannibal who took them gently. 

He inspected the bruising and the way the skin had split. “Tell me how it made you feel.”

Will inhaled, “I felt powerful. Full of righteousness.”

Will caught Hannibal’s eyes again. “It felt good, and I wanted to kill him.”

Hannibal knew then that he was in love with this man. “Killing must feel good to God too.”

Will quirked an eyebrow. “Does it really?”

“He dropped a church roof on 34 of his followers last night in Texas.”

“And how did it make God feel?”

“Powerful.”

Will smiled slightly. “Know a lot about killing Hannibal?”

“I know enough.” Hannibal answered, hoping though that Will would stay with him to continue to say his name. 

“I thought as much.” Will said simply, with an unreadable expression on his face. “Now, weren’t you going to do something about my hands.”

Hannibal smiled and took a roll of bandage out of the first aid kit. Taking the right hand first he made quick work of wrapping the knuckles tightly. Pressing a kiss to the right palm before he reached for the left hand. Will was flushed again and breathing shallowly almost like prey. 

“I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Hannibal was concerned that he had misjudged Will. 

“No. No that’s not it.” Will said through panting breaths. “It’s just…”

Hannibal said, “It’s what? Tell me my dear Will.”

Will sighed and mumbled, “Fuck it.” before he grabbed the lapels of Hannibal’s jacket and pulled him forwards. 

Hannibal smiled then in the second before Will’s lips were on his. 

This first touch of lips was chaste before they part briefly, and then they kiss again. 

This time they met more passionately, with Hannibal sliding a tongue between Will’s lips.

Their lips meet in a slow sensual dance, and Hannibal can taste the blood from the split lip, and combined with the sweetness of sugar it makes for ambrosia.

Hannibal didn’t want it to end, but as breathe ran out they parted with foreheads touching. 

Will’s lips were kiss-swollen and he licked over them slightly. “Right.” 

“Dinner?” Hannibal asked, “Allow me to cook for you.” 

Will laughed, and Hannibal thought it was the most wonderfully free sound. 

“I can accept that.”

Hannibal grinned before taking the other hand and wrapping it. 

Will took Hannibal’s hand to his lips and kissed the palm. “But you must tell me exactly who you are.”

“I’m the Chesapeake Ripper my dear Will.”

Will smiled, “Pick me up at 8 on Thursday?”


End file.
